


Frozen Moments

by Pax_2735



Category: Spartacus Series (TV)
Genre: Drabble Collection, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-03
Updated: 2014-07-20
Packaged: 2017-12-31 09:57:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1030330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pax_2735/pseuds/Pax_2735
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of short scenes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Undecided

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Don’t know who owns this but it’s not me – I’m just playing in someone else’s sandbox. No money is being made. Compliments will be repeated in front of the mirror, flames will be used to light my cigarettes. Send them all in…
> 
> This is intended to be a collection of short scenes, too small to turn into proper stories. I will be adding to it as more stuff pops up into my deranged brain.
> 
>  
> 
> Setting for this one: Modern day AU, established relationship. Not sure if any of it makes much sense but I can assure you it did in my head...

 

 

 

 

“You wanna leave?”

Agron tries very hard to keep the hurt out of his face and out of his words, but he’s sure he’s failing spectacularly. Things had been going good – _great even_ … at least from where he stood. This… he had not seen it coming, and it was confusing as hell.

“No.”

The answer was there in less than a heartbeat, barely allowing him to finish his question. It was decisive, and final, and he feels his chest expand a little, as breath slowly begins returning to his lungs. Questions still linger, though, and if things had been going strong – _great_ , his brain yells yet again, as if it’s stuck on repeat over that word, why is this suddenly coming up?

“Then why didn’t you tell him that straight away?”

The sigh that escapes Nasir’s lips before his answer doesn’t go unnoticed. Neither does the way his eyes nervously flicker to the wall, and then straight to the ground. Nasir never avoids his eyes.

“Because when you came back I was here. And then we sort of took from there. It’s not like we moved in together because we were madly in love. There was never a choice here. You never had a choice.” His eyes go back to his face then. “There are options now. I just… didn’t want to make any assumptions.”

“Assumptions?” He’s fairly certain his confusion at this whole conversation is now plainly visible on his face. Had he not been obvious enough? Was there any possible way that Nasir had somehow missed his intentions?

And then a smile slowly creeps up his features, as realization dawns on him. “You wanna hear me ask don’t you?”

“It’s a possibility.” And there is no mistaking the smugness of that smile, and so Agron indulges him, because there is nothing that he enjoys more.

“You wanna move in with me?”

The eyes are back in his face, staring right at him, the smugness gone in less than a heartbeat. “Why?”

“Because I’m madly in love with you.” And he is, and he needs to make this perfectly clear before he continues because he can’t afford not to. “And I’m fairly sure you’re madly in love with me and…”

“Excuse me? Who’s making assumptions now?” The smile is back on Nasir’s face and somehow, Agron knows this whole stupid, pointless conversation is gonna turn out alright.

“It’s not an assumption babe. You talk in your sleep. And one of the more frequent words to come out of your mouth happens to be my name.” It was his time to be smug now.

A slight blush creeps up his lover’s face and Agron has two whole seconds to enjoy what he assumes will be a victory, before hearing his reply.

“Maybe I was having nightmares.”


	2. Jamaica man!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting for this one: Modern day AU, pre-relationship

7 in the morning and the heat was already bordering on the unbearable. And Nasir was in heaven. Whoever invented the concept of vacationing in the Caribbean deserved a fucking medal.

The movement he caught out the corner of his eye soured his mood slightly – the whole point of being out in the beach this early was to have the whole place to himself. Still, he felt great and refused to feel it any less.

A sudden tightness began to make itself felt in his swimming trunks as he got a better look at who his companion was - that gorgeous guy he kept running into everywhere he went. _Agron_ , his name was, not that he had been trying to found out. Suddenly, the intense heat of the day seemed to increase tenfold.

The man stopped a few feet away, placing a towel next to the water and standing tall on top of it, with his back to Nasir. Nasir wandered briefly if this was going to be another show-off-his-incredible-muscles-and-make-me-sweat session. That seemed to be happening a lot, whether it was seeing him doing laps in the swimming pool – and Nasir was sure it had to be illegal to look that good in trunks – or watching him dance at the night club – Nasir had had to physically restrain himself from leaving his seat and strangling the guy trying to grind up against him.

Although, if he wanted to be fair – which he really didn’t at this particular moment – all of those wonderful torture sessions had more to do with him not being able to take his eyes away from the man than with the man actually doing something.

His mind drifting away with a thousand different thoughts, it took Nasir a while to catch up with what was happening in front of him. And when he did, part of him wished he hadn’t.

Because the guy was stretching upwards, getting ready to do, Nasir’s educated guess was, yoga. Fucking yoga, with the stretches, and the twists, and Nasir’s mind was already on overload, thinking up all the different scenarios where he could put all that flexibility to good use.

The man turned sideways, stretching one of his legs backwards and his arms up to the sky. The heat was taking its toll on him, making his torso glisten with sweat, forcing his swimming trunks to ride increasingly lower on his hips. Nasir’s eyes found themselves entranced with a bead of sweat making its way downwards, through his chest and navel, over a swirl of dark hair until it disappeared underneath the trunks. He had to forcefully remind himself to breathe.

Adjusting himself, he mindlessly wandered about the pros and cons of this, this seemingly crazy pull towards the other man, and whether or not he was man enough to go through with it. He was becoming more and more convinced that he was at least man enough to want to find out.

And just as he was settling his mind around that realization, the guy – _Agron_ , he reminded himself – turned back towards the water, spreading his legs wide and letting his torso dip forward. And, as Nasir was once more lost in the vision in front of him – now hanging forward with his ass – _his gorgeous, amazing ass_ – pointed right at him, he saw the guy looking straight at him from between his legs. And then he winked.

 _To Hell with this fucking thing!_ Nasir was moving before his brain caught up with his body and slowly, very deliberately, started walking towards him.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

As he pushed himself slowly upwards, Agron couldn’t help the smile that lifted the corners of his mouth. The scorching sun was on his back and he could see Nasir’s shadow making its way slowly but surely towards him.

Good. This is was taking far too fucking long.

He had been trying for days to get his attention – whether it was showing off his athletic abilities by swimming around in the pool when he was reading by its side, or dancing in what he _hoped_ was a seductive manner when he spotted him at the hotel’s nightclub. It was getting ridiculous. If showing him how flexible he was didn’t do the trick, he might have to try something really desperate – like walking up to him and actually saying _hi_.

He resisted the urge to look over his shoulder though, and continued with his final stretches. His plan was finally working. He _had_ noticed.

And tonight _they_ would make it happen.

 


	3. The end of times

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about this one. My mind is in a weird place right now...
> 
> Setting for this one: Modern day AU, reincarnation piece

“What do you mean, you’re leaving?”

The shock registering on Agron’s face was almost enough to change Nasir’s mind. Almost.

“It’s not that.”

“It isn’t? ‘Cause it sure as fuck sounds like that, from where I’m standing.”

There it was, the anger. Anger, he expected. Anger, he could deal with. But not the sadness. Never the sadness.

“Just listen to me ok? That’s all I’m asking, for you to really listen to me this time.”

The anger was still there, very much present in his green eyes, as well as the lingering sadness, but Agron seemed to make an effort to actually calm down and listen to what he had to say. Nasir took a deep breath before beginning. He had to get this right, he had to make him understand his reasons.

“This… this isn’t working. This thing between us. It hasn’t been for a while now.”

The anger was back in full force before his words were even fully out. “I love you and you love me. Isn’t that how this is supposed to go? What more does it take to make it work?”

Nasir had to suppress a smirk at that. It was so typical Agron, to wear his heart on his sleeve, to truly believe that love was actually all it took. He shook his head slowly. That was part of the real problem.

“You don’t love me.”

“Bullshit! If you wanna come up with a reason for leaving, by all means do, but don’t tell me that I don’t love you. That’s all I’ve done for the past two thousand years!”

It was Nasir’s temper that came flaring up at that. He was getting so sick of this shit. Before he knew it, he was shouting as well.

“Don’t you see? That’s exactly what I’m saying here! You don’t love me – you love _him_!”

The stunned look in Agron’s face was enough to make him pause. Clearly, he didn’t see things the same way. Clearly, the thought had never even crossed his mind. 

“I know I look like him, with the hair and the skin and even the name. And I even remember bits and pieces of what it was like to be him.” He sighed before continuing, taking his time to choose his next words carefully. “But the things I remember, they’re like parts of a movie I watched a really long time ago. They don’t feel like they happened to me. Because, the reality is, they didn’t.”

The stunned silence coming from the other side of the room gave Nasir the strength to go on. The floodgates were finally opening, and all the anger and frustration of the past couple months came pouring out.

“I’m not the same person I was, two thousand years ago. I’m not him. And I can never be him – I’m not sure I’d want to, even if I could. Not even for you.”

“But you are him – I know it, I’ve known from the first second I saw you standing in that market.” The confusion was evident, as though the whole concept Nasir was trying to explain was too much for Agron to grasp.

“People change in the course of a lifetime. Your Nasir changed from mousy little house slave to feared warrior in a matter of months. Do you honestly believe that two thousand years won’t make a difference?”

Agron didn’t have an answer to that. He had known, from the very beginning, this wasn’t going to be easy. That Nasir – this Nasir, born and raised in the suburbs, with a good life, filled with family and friends – was a far cry from the Nasir he still remembered from his days as a general leading a slave rebellion. But, at the same time, he was the same person – the laughter was still the same, the fire that had earned him the nickname ‘wild little dog’ still burned in those same eyes. He still loved him the same. 

Nasir’s next words sent his world once again crashing into pieces.

“What I feel for you now, it has nothing to do with some faded old memory. You made me fall in love with you all over again.” Another sigh, before dealing the final blow. “But all this time you never gave yourself a chance to fall back in love with me. You never took the time to get to know me. Because when you look at me, you don’t see me. You are still searching for your Nasir.”

Nasir finally got up from his chair, picking up the duffel bag where his meager belongings had already been packed into. Slowly, he walked to Agron and bent down to tenderly kiss him one final time.

“I thought my love for you was enough – that I could love you enough for the both of us. Turns out I was wrong.”


	4. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas everyone!
> 
> Setting for this one: post 'Spartacus: War of the Damned'

“You promised me… what did you call it again?”

Agron couldn’t help the smile that graced his lips at Nasir’s almost pouting look. 

“Snow.”

“Snow, that was it. What you _promised me_.” 

Nasir knew he was behaving like a spoiled child but the rain had been pouring for days. Days! Everything was wet and soggy and you couldn’t get anything done. A simple task like walking to the barn to feed the animals was sheer torture. Where was the white blanket of this marvelous new thing – _snow,_ he said to himself – he had been so eager to see? 

“Apologies _schatz_. You know I would fight the gods to make you happy but I cannot control the weather.” 

Agron moved closer to the earth and stoked the fire before continuing.

“And you will regret such wishes once it starts. The impossibility to keep warm will make you bite your own tongue for uttering such foolish desires.” 

A small, sensuous smile slowly found its way across Nasir’s features at hearing such words. 

“I thought that was why I kept you for.”

Slowly turning around to face his love, a matching smile on Agron’s face before replying. 

“I thought I served many purposes. But pray tell me, _why do you_ keep me around? Is it to keep you warm… or to bite your tongue?”

Walking over to stand in front of his giant lover, Nasir allowed his hands to roam up his arms and over his shoulders, slowly caressing the muscles, before curling them around the back of his neck and tugging him down for a kiss.

“Make your choice.”

 


	5. Syrian dancer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For this piece I am assuming that dancing in Syria during the 70’s BC was somewhat similar to modern day Arabic dancing. Call it creative license :-)
> 
> Setting for this one: Spartacus Vengeance, mid-season.

The sound of laughter echoed from the temple’s courtyard, swiftly followed by voices booming within the quietness of the night. The festivities had already begun.

A collective groan was heard inside the room, signaling the men’s already straining patience was wearing thinner by the moment. They all understood the necessity of reporting back to Spartacus, a way to better view mistakes made, and how to avoid them in the future. Still, it was hard to concentrate on the task at hand when the mission had gone so smoothly – releasing yet another ship full of slaves, new recruits for their cause, adding to their numbers – and the sounds of wine flowing freely and enjoyment being had all around filled their ears.

Gannicus was first to break, claiming he had nothing more to add, and whatever was left unsaid could surely be discussed come morning. He left the room without waiting for a reply and the groans coming again from his two remaining generals finally convinced Spartacus it was time to end the meeting. He bade them both farewell and smiled as he watched them eagerly leave, in search of more favored company.

As they reached the top pf the temple’s stairs both men came to a halt and just observed the celebrations. Food was being shared without restrictions, a product of the huge supplies they had secured during this latest fortuitous raid, and the wine flowed in abundance, lifting already high spirits.

From the center of the courtyard, the newly freed slaves, coming mainly from the Eastern territories, joined with some of the older members of the rebellion, and banged on some improvised drums. The result was less than harmonic but no one seemed to mind, as some were already swaying to the music.

“Let us hope they are this eager in fighting Roman shits.”

Agron surveyed the courtyard before answering. “They are merely celebrating what they thought forever lost. Do not begrudge them that. Come morning we will see what they are truly made of.”

Crixus’ laugh sounded too close to his liking. “To hear you speak and actually make some fucking sense is something I had never imagined.”

“To see you stand there wasting fucking time with me instead of searching for other sorts of company is something _I_ had never fucking imagined.”

“And the fucking idiot makes sense yet again. You stand to reason though. I have better places to be, and I believe the same could be said for you.” Crixus was grinning by then – fucking grinning – and it was all Agron could do not to shake his head at him.

As Crixus left his company in search of Naevia, Agron’s attention was brought back to the festivities. He too had better places to be, and more pleasurable company to indulge in. He merely needed to find it.

A clear laugh made his head turn in search of the sound. A clearly drunk Mira was standing to the side of the dancers, with a laughing Nasir by her side. There it was – his better place, his infinitely pleasurable company.

He watched as Mira tried to dance to the sound of the drums, the wine making her steps clumsy and ungraceful. The way she was holding on to Nasir was indicative of her efforts to make him dance with her, as well as his efforts to simply keep her upright. Agron considered briefly making an attempt at rescuing Nasir but thought better of it. There was something beautiful about the way he laughed at her pained efforts and for the moment Agron was simply content to merely watch him.

One of the dancers broke from his graceful movements and headed up to them. He was young, younger even than Nasir, with the same black hair and slightly darker skin – another Syrian, no doubt. He made his way to the pair and from the way Mira’s face lit up Agron was convinced he would not have liked the conversation.

His suspicions were confirmed when a still laughing Nasir reluctantly let go of Mira and made his way into the middle of the courtyard with the boy, Mira’s words lost to him but the intent made clear. His jealousy flared up in an instant, bringing forth an anger he thought he had long ago conquered.

Turning slightly to the side and surveying the crowd, Nasir’s eyes found his. The confusion at seeing his anger was quickly replaced by a soft smile. _Calm down_ , it said. _It is you I chose_.

Agron watched transfixed, as Nasir’s body slowly started to undulate to the sound of the drums. His hips were slowly shaking, a movement Agron was becoming quite familiar with, and his hands began moving like rolling snakes, accompanying the movements of his partner.

It was almost hypnotic – and also arousing as fuck - watching Nasir with his head slightly thrown back, eyes closed and arms undulating upwards towards the sky, as if he was praying to some unknown god, his body shaking and moving to the vibrations coming from the improvised drums, a thin sheet of sweat making his skin start to glisten. Agron almost forgot about his own jealousy at the presence of the young boy clearly trying to keep up with Nasir’s movements, as his head and his heart were consumed by the vision that was his lover.

Keeping his movements in tune with the beat, Nasir slowly turned to his left. His hips now shaking more forcefully, he began bending backwards, arms gyrating to the sides, allowing the tip of his raven hair to touch the ground, before slowly shimming his way up. And, as the drums came to an abrupt halt, so did his body, standing directly in front of his dancing partner, who ventured a shy smile towards him. Nasir didn’t noticed it, however, as his eyes travelled past his companion to look directly into Agron’s green orbs. Allowing a slow, predatory smile to grace his features.

‘This is why I fight.’ Agron thought. This was all about him. The way he looked at that precise moment. Happy. Free.

And, as Nasir started to walk towards him, that smile still etched onto his beautiful lips, the rebellion made sense once again.


	6. First of many

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was inspired by the video that was circling around, where 20 strangers were asked to kiss each other.
> 
> Setting for this one - Modern day AU, pre-relationship

The room was filling up very quickly, but although the number of people kept increasing by the second, it was surprisingly silent. They all knew what they were here to do.

Nasir looked around, checking out the faces surrounding him, mostly curious about what he was seeing – you had the alternative looking people, whom you would expect to see at something like this, but he could also see people in suits, some wearing casual clothing, one had all the look of a stay-at-home mom. It seemed as though they had gathered an incredibly selective crowd.

Soon, their names began being called out, some to the left, some to the right. It didn’t take long for Nasir to hear his own name being yelled out by a kid wearing flip flops. He got up to follow him.

Nasir had heard about this film from a friend of a friend. It was an experimental thing, or so they had said, and it was supposed to be short, not taking up a lot of his time. They needed twenty people to film a scene about strangers interacting with each other. He remembered raising his eyebrows when he heard the words ‘kissing each other’, but he had already said he’d do it, and he wasn’t one to back out on his word.

What was a kiss, anyway?

As he entered the room, the filmmaker came his way to thank him and give him some direction on where he should stand. Following him came who Nasir assumed would be his partner in the scene.

The guy was tall – excessively tall for his liking, after all he was supposed to kiss the guy, how could they make this work when said guy towered over him? – and, after a carefully hidden once over, incredibly good looking, with the green eyes and the spiky hair and the muscles, all the way to the dimples when he smiled.

After placing them face to face, the director retreated back to the camera and they were left looking at each other. It was awkward as hell, really, looking at someone for the first time, knowing what you were supposed to be doing in a couple of moments. They both smiled at each other, before the tall guy turned back to the director.

“Are you rolling? How do we do this?”

A wave of the hand peeking from behind the camera gave them the ok. And then the awkwardness was back.

Nasir shyly smiled at the guy before extending his hand.

“Hi, I’m Nasir.”

A full smile and a slightly strangled laugh came from the taller guy – who seemed to be growing cuter by the second – before he grabbed Nasir’s hand.

“I’m Agron. Nice to meet you.”

“You have nice eyes.” Nasir wanted to face-palm himself after he blurted that out but Agron laughed again and it seemed to ease the tension just a little bit.

“Thanks. I like your hair.” It was Nasir’s turn to laugh, before taking a step forward, towards Agron.

“So… how do we do this? Do we just… go for it?”

The laughter and awkwardness were still present in Agron’s gaze but something had shifted slightly, as the taller man moved one hand to Nasir’s waist, weaving the other hand in his hair and whispered:

“Come here.”

The first touching of lips was soft, just a light pressure before diving in with more confidence. He felt Agron’s lips begin to move against his own, slight nibbles of teeth quickly followed by slow, sensuous licks. Nasir’s hands circled Agron’s waist, pulling him more firmly against his body, securing him there. It was his turn to trace Agron’s lips with the tip of his tongue, smiling slightly as Agron eagerly parted them to allow him entrance. And it was heaven.

Agron tasted of cherries and beer, the soft smell of his leather jacket filling Nasir’s head. He traced his tongue along the contours of Agron’s mouth, along the back of his teeth, before sweeping his tongue over Agron’s, pulling it into an age’s old battle for dominance. He would have smiled at the purring sound Agron made if the whole thing didn’t feel just too damn good to stop.

All too soon, breath became an issue and reluctantly Nasir began to ease down. Agron seemed just as reluctant to let go, as he pulled Nasir’s bottom lip between his teeth, easing the slight sting with a gentle lick before finally letting go completely. Nasir’s arms had somehow found their way into Agron’s neck and he allowed them to slide down his chest, smiling slightly at the gaze Agron was giving his way.

Nasir took a step backwards, still holding on to Agron’s hands. They were looking at each other, both breathing heavy, and Nasir couldn’t help but think this whole thing had gotten way, way out of hand. It was supposed to be just a kiss!

The director came their way and cheerfully congratulated them, before thanking them profusely for their help.

“It was nice meeting you.” And just like that, with a slight nod of his head, Agron walked out of the set, and out of Nasir’s life.

 

 


	7. Musings of last night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting for this one: Modern day AU, pre-relationship

He crept silently out of the room, closing the door to the bedroom without a sound, and huffed a sigh of relief. An experienced thief would be envious of his abilities.

A quick scan of the living room and he located his jacket, thrown haphazardly to the floor the previous night. One of his boots was lying half under the couch and Nasir slowly walked over to retrieve it, tripping on the other one.

“Careful there.”

He jumped at the sound of the voice coming from somewhere behind him. Placing a hand over his heart, trying to calm it down to something resembling normal, he carefully turned around. There he was, sitting at the kitchen table, eating a bowl of cereal and reading what looked suspiciously like the comic strip on the newspaper. He looked vaguely familiar, with the dark curls and big laughing eyes, and Nasir was fairly certain he had been at the club last night. A roommate, perhaps.

The tall guy nodded his head slightly towards the closed bedroom door before speaking.

“My brother still asleep?”

His brother, then. He remembered him mentioning he had a brother, they had bonded over it, it was the conversation starter that had allowed them to get through the initial awkwardness and break the ice.

He nodded wordlessly, hoping that was enough of a signal that the conversation was over.

The brother, however, seemed to have other plans.

“So, are you going to just leave like that?” He was looking at him over the top of the newspaper, looking casual if not for his intense brown eyes staring straight at him. Again, he nodded his head.

“I… I don’t…” He swallowed audibly, trying to clear the lump in his throat. Gods, he didn’t stammer, that was for idiots. He tried again.

“I don’t normally do this.” He waved his hands between himself and the closed door, trying to make his meaning clear.

“You don’t do what exactly? Mornings after?” The guy put down the paper, staring fully at him now. “It’s quite simple really. You stay and actually say goodbye to the guy you just fucked instead of leaving like a weasel, without a word.”

Nasir stared at him, caught up between a desire to explain himself and the intense need to flee and pretend like this whole mess never happened. Agron had mentioned the night before he and his brother were close, which obviously meant they were very protective of each other. This display of brotherly affection was almost cute, had it not meant the underlying hostility was currently aimed at him.

“That’s not what I meant.”

The brother – and gods, what was his name? He was sure it had come up during conversation, but by then he was already half lost in a haze of pure lust and some details had obviously escaped him – seemed intrigued, by the way he arched his brows and sat back in his chair. It seemed to be his cue to continue, and he rubbed his hands over his face. How the fuck did he end up in this situation?

“Do you want some coffee?” The guy was already standing up, opening cabinets to retrieve a mug and pouring him some of the delicious concoction, the smell hitting Nasir’s nostrils full force. He was going to nod his head once more but caught himself. Instead, he walked over to the kitchen table and sat down, ignoring the alarm bells going off in his head, warning him that Agron could wake up at any second.

“Don’t worry about it. He sleeps likes he’s dead and he rarely wakes up early unless he has to.”

Nasir looked him over. “Are you psychic?”

His laugh was infectious, similar to his brother’s, and Nasir found himself relaxing a little bit for the first time since he had woken up.

“You keep looking at the door like the devil himself is gonna walk out.”

Nasir looked sideways in that direction, as if reassuring himself that the door was still closed. Tall guy sat back in front of him and handed him the coffee.

“So what is it that you don’t do?”

Nasir stared at the mug as though it contained the secrets to the universe. This was a conversation that you had with your best friend over drinks, pouring out your heart, not with a guy you had just met, whom so happened to be the brother of the guy you had just spent the night with. He sighed.

“I don’t do any of this. This whole thing… with your brother. I don’t do this kind of thing. I’m not like this.”

“You mean the whole meet-a-guy-take-him-home-and-fuck-his-brains-out? That thing?”

Nasir looked up at him to see him grinning. Fucking idiot, he was actually enjoying this.

“No. Yes. I mean, the one night stand thing.”

“So you have no problem with the fucking his brains out?”

Nasir glared at him. He put up his hands in mock defense. “I was just making sure.”

“I have to go. Thanks for the coffee.”

Nasir stood up abruptly and walked back into the living room, retrieving his boots and jacket. The voice in his back, again, made him pause.

“For what it’s worth, neither does he.”

Nasir turned around slowly, to look back at him. He was standing up again and for the first time during the entire conversation looked absolutely serious.

“Something clicked between the two of you last night. Is it true love?” He paused and smiled at Nasir, and he couldn’t help but to smile back. “I don’t think so. It’s too soon to know. Which is why I think you should probably give this a chance.”

Nasir stared wordlessly back at him. This whole thing was too weird, too foreign, too not him. His instincts were screaming at him to walk away and go back to his organized, safe life.

_He remembered last night, hands and lips and tongue tracing every inch of his body, his own repaying the favor. Endless hours spent learning each other’s bodies, every dip, every curve, every spot that made the other moan with pleasure. He remembered the feeling of being inside those arms, of having him inside, staring into green eyes that shone black with passion. He remembered waking up curled around a warm body, feeling a tenderness that left him speechless and wanting to bolt at the same time it left him yearning for more._

_And he remembered the events that led them there. The lust he had felt at seeing him for the first time. The warmth he had felt as Agron’s eyes roamed over his body appreciatively. The connection they had felt with each other, as the first tentative conversation had turned into another and then another, until their mutual friends were laughing and shaking their heads and finally letting them be._

“I have to leave. I have to go to work.” He saw the guy’s face darken as he misinterpreted his meaning. Nasir smiled. “I didn’t give him my number last night. Can you give it to him? Tell him that I hope he calls?”

The guy smiled again, that brilliant smile that was so much like his brother’s. “Course. He’ll probably call you the second he wakes up.”

“Good. Tell him if he doesn’t… I know where he lives.” Nasir winked and the guy laughed.

He put on his boots and his jacket and finally headed for the door. As he opened it he turned around again.

“What’s your name?”

The guy smiled. “I’m Duro.” Duro, that was it! He remembered now.

“I’m Nasir.”

“It’s nice to meet you Nasir. I have a feeling I’ll be seeing you around.”

 

 


	8. Where land embraces the sea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting for this one: post Spartacus: War of the Damned

He was startled awake by the ship’s rocking, a soft bobbing to the sides to which he thought he was used to by now, after weeks at sea. Or maybe it was the lack of a soft, warm body by his side that made his mind startle awake.

Agron couldn’t tell.

He softly rubbed a hand over his face, trying to chase away the remnants of sleep, as he let his eyes slowly adjust to the darkness of the cabin. The moon was shining through what passed as a small window to the left, signaling the long hours that still lay ahead until sunrise. His green eyes made a quick scan of the cabin, confirming his suspicions that he was indeed alone.

He sighed heavily. This wasn’t supposed to be this difficult.

Getting up from amidst the blankets that made their bed, he reached blindly for his clothing, grabbing a cloak big enough for two on his way to the door, his mind already wandering on the whereabouts of his missing lover. It wasn’t so much _where_ he was that concerned him – they were on a boat, after all, there were only so many places he could be – but more _how_ he was.

He cautiously made his way up the slight flight of stairs leading to the main deck. They were slippery and covered in bits of seaweed, a fact that had led to more than one of the boat’s occupants to fall flat on their asses while trying to get through them. It seemed to be a constant source of amusement to the pirates owing this piece of shit though, and Agron had decided early on he wouldn’t get riled up over this.

As he reached the top of the stairs he stopped and let his eyes wander around, looking for his missing lover. The smell of the sea hit his nostrils full force and he wrinkled his nose in disgust. After his capture, a lifetime ago it seemed, himself and Duro had made part of the journey into Capua by sea. He couldn’t help the rush of memories that seemed to flood his brain at that smell. Maybe this whole fucking journey had been a really bad idea.

After the war, after Spartacus had been laid to the ground, after they had crossed the Alps and delivered the remaining slaves under their guard to freedom, they had made their way into Agron’s homeland.

He didn’t bother to deny, neither to himself nor to anyone else, that he would have gladly followed Nasir anywhere the smaller man chose to go. But Nasir had chosen to go with him back home, and he had been infinitely happy at that. Agron, from the lands east of the Rhine, was to return home, with his beloved by his side.

Of course, reality hadn’t quite been as pleasant as the idea of it – the villages along the river had been raided by both Roman troops and enemy tribes alike, and their small pack had arrived at Agron’s birthplace only to discover it didn’t exist anymore, ruins of burnt cottages the only proof that life had once existed in such a place.

Sadness and anger had flooded through him, and it was only a promise made to his lover during a quiet, peaceful night not so long ago ( _soft words spoken in a whisper, promising to never again leave, never again place his life in danger, promising a peaceful life)_ that prevented him from grabbing arms – his hands were finally healing and, even though he would never be the warrior he once had been, his sword was becoming trusted companion once again – and marching into war.

They had set strength into rebuilding the village instead, and their lives alongside it, making it into a place where freedom was no longer a word but a way of life, to be experienced every single day. Together with Nasir, they had built a house of their own – the younger man’s suggestion that they rebuilt Agron’s family home abandoned in favor of starting something new and theirs – and they had slowly started to adapt to this different way of life. After initial suspicions had worn off, aided by his knowledge of the language and habits, establishing trade relations with nearby settlements had been easy enough and life in the new village had flourished.

He smiled as he remembered words spoken so long ago –‘ _I am no shepherd nor tiller of land.’_ – yet it was exactly what he had become, taking care of crops and herds of goats, content to live off the land, enjoying life absent constant warfare, enjoying love without constant fear of it being ripped from his side and shattered.

And yet, there was something quite… not right. Despite the happiness they both enjoyed and the new life they now shared, there was a growing sense of restlessness within his lover. Agron harbored no remaining doubt that Nasir was happy – as the dark haired man made sure to show him every possible moment, with slight touches and passionate caresses adding strength to loving words – but something seemed to be amiss. It had taken all of his considerable persuading skills to force his young lover to admit to it – and Agron could not even pretend he was surprised by it.

Nasir missed Syria.

Even if missing was not the right word – for how can one miss something one barely remembers? – but it was the idea of it, the notion that he would never see his homeland again, even if said homeland was nothing but a few scattered images he couldn’t even tell were actual memories or just his imagination.

Agron sighed once more as his eyes finally came to rest on the form of his lover. He was leaning over the side of the boat, his brow furrowed in concentration as he looked fiercefully forward. Even this close to the lands of the East, nights at sea were cold and he couldn’t help a small smile as he watched the smaller man slightly shiver.

After his timid admition, there had been no doubt about the course of action that needed to be followed. Despite Nasir’s protests that it was too far and too dangerous to even consider it, Agron had been relentless – he had come home, now it was time for Nasir to do the same.

The journey back from where they had come from had been long but mostly uneventful. It was only after crossing the Alps – the point of no return during their march towards freedom – that worry and doubt began settling in the pit of their stomachs. They had settled for the night near the place where their final battle as rebels had been fought – remembering their fallen brothers and allowing sorrow to be felt once more – and had stopped briefly at Spartacus’ grave, Agron’s shield long gone, with nothing to mark the great man that lay beneath.

Without words needing to be exchanged, they had ventured to a small sea-side town far north from Rome and Capua, and manage to secure a place amongst a pirate ship that would take them across the Adriatic and the Mediterranean, all the way to the shores of Syria. The less time they spent within the grasp of the Republic, the better.

He shook his head vigorously, trying to clear his thoughts before slowly making his way towards Nasir, a slight stiffening in the younger man’s shoulders the only sign that he was aware of his lover’s presence. Agron unwrapped the cloak from around his shoulders, carefully placing his arms around Nasir’s waist before wrapping the both of them inside a cocoon of warmth. Nasir tensed for a moment before sighing loudly, the sound ripping through the quietness of night, and melting against the taller man’s strong body.

“I didn’t mean to wake you.”

Agron looked straight ahead, trying to see what it was that Nasir was so intent on finding. “You didn’t. I woke absent your warmth beside me. I fear you have rendered me incapable of sleeping without it.”

He couldn’t see the younger man’s face but he could feel the smile creeping up his face as he turned his head slightly around to bury his nose in Agron’s neck. “You flatter me, but I fear it is something other than my… warmth that you crave.”

Agron laughed slightly at the jab. “It is your warmth. The warmth of your body next to mine” – his voice lowered, turning sultry – “the warmth between your thighs pulling me in” – he tightened his hold around his lover as he felt the younger man shiver from something other than cold – “the warmth in your heart keeping the ugliness of the world at bay.” He pressed a soft kiss to the top of Nasir’s head, pressing his face against the dark locks.

They settled comfortably against each other, gazing out into the horizon. Years of loving the man in his arms had taught Agron well. Nasir could be as stubborn as a mule when he set his mind to it. There was no point in asking him what bothered him so – it was just best to let him be, and speak out of his own accord. Agron allowed the gentle breeze to play across his face, filling his senses with the sound of waves crashing gently against the ship’s side and the soft breathing of the dark haired man. It didn’t take long for Nasir to come around and begin speaking.

“I spoke to the pirates earlier this day. They said that… that if the skies were clear enough, we’d be able to see it tonight. To see land.”

Agron tightened his hold around Nasir, fearing the intensity of the moment. “So that is why you are out here, freezing off that beautiful cock.” The comment delivered its intended effect, as he felt Nasir’s body shake with quiet laughter.

“Only you would say that a cock is beautiful.”

Agron huffed in mock dismay. “I didn’t say that a cock is beautiful. I said yours is. There’s a difference.”

The sound of Nasir’s laughter lifted up his somber mood a little. There was no other sound in the world he loved as much, and nothing he wouldn’t do to hear it again. Nasir turned serious again soon enough and looked up, for a moment showing off all the insecurities he felt at the moment. It was a privilege, really, one that Agron was forever grateful for, that Nasir trusted him enough to bare his soul out like that. Still, it never failed to clench Agron’s heart to see him so.

“What if it’s all strange to me?” He sighed softly before continuing. “What if I don’t remember anything? What if my own homeland is as strange to me as Germania was in the beginning?”

Agron remembered the feeling far too well. He too had been filled with doubt when they had first arrived to his homeland. Far too many years had gone by, far too many changes, and he had doubted himself then, and his ability to somehow go back to his old life. Nasir had been his anchor back then (as he had been his anchor in so many other occasions since those fearful first few days of knowing one another). Now was his time.

He lifted his hand from underneath the cloak and gently brushed his knuckles against Nasir’s face, before bowing his head down and joining their foreheads. “You were but a child when you were taken from these shores. So what if memory fails you? There is no rush love. We are free men. You can get to know it again.”

A soft movement and Nasir’s lips were against his own, moving and teasing until there was nothing Agron could do but to give in to it. It turned heated soon enough, as it always did with them, and Agron couldn’t help the soft whine that escaped his lips when he felt Nasir draw back.

“Gratitude. Your words lift heart, even if your confidence sometimes amazes me.”

Agron leaned in quietly for another soft kiss. “Let us retire for now. If we are this close, we’ll surely see land soon enough.”

They moved slowly over the slippery deck, both still wrapped inside the same cloak, neither bothering to disentangle themselves from the other for the sake of practicality. As they reached the stairs, Agron stopped and softly pulled on a lock of raven hair. As Nasir’s curious gaze fell on his face he merely smiled and pointed. There, in the far distance, partly concealed by crashing waves, shone three small lights. Land.

Nasir slowly disentangled himself from the cloak and Agron’s still holding arms and took two small steps, looking in awe at the flickering lights. The whisper was so soft Agron almost didn’t hear it.

“I’m home.”


End file.
